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KALW-FMThe United States of DebtTue, 23 Apr 2013 19:55:30 -0400http://kalw.org/post/united-states-debt
http://kalw.org/post/united-states-debtJen Chien557noOccupy Bernal: Occupy at the local levelIt’s Sunday afternoon, and two-dozen San Francisco homeowners and activists are gathered in front of venture capitalist Peter Briger’s house, in the wealthy South Bay suburb of Atherton chanting, “Come out and talk to us! Don’t throw us under the bus!”

Briger is co-chairman of Fortress Investment Group, which owns the company foreclosing on some of the demonstrators’ homes. A protest two weeks earlier at the downtown San Francisco offices of the company did not draw a response, so they are taking their concerns to Briger’s home.

The demonstrators are surprised when Briger actually does step out of his house to meet them. He listens to some of the homeowners speak, and then agrees to look into their cases. The demonstrators press Briger to do more – they want him to stop the impending evictions of two of the homeowners. Briger tells them he can’t make that promise. But the next day, the evictions are postponed.

Ross Rhodes, one of the demonstrators, is proud of their successful tactics. “You know, we can’t get you at work, we’re coming to your house!” he says. Rhodes is a member of Occupy Bernal, a local offshoot of the greater Occupy movement, based in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood. He has lived in Bernal since the 60s, and was facing foreclosure on his own home when he got involved with the group, back in February.

Occupy came to his house, too. Rhodes laughs as he recalls that rainy Wednesday night, when a strange man pulled into his driveway and rang the doorbell.

It wasn’t the bank. It was a member of Occupy Bernal named Buck Bagot. He had heard about Rhodes’ situation and had come to ask him to join the group.

Bagot is also a long-time resident of Bernal Heights, and a self-described leftist activist since the early 70s. He and a handful of other activist neighbors founded Occupy Bernal in early January, coming together around another neighbor’s impending foreclosure.

Bagot says at that point, most members of the group were not facing foreclosure themselves, but wanted to take action to help those who were. At first they didn’t know much about the issue, but once they started to look into it, they found the problem was much more widespread than they would have thought.

According to real estate website Block Shopper, foreclosures were almost unheard of in Bernal until 2010, when the rate jumped from zero per year to 17. And it’s kept climbing since then.

Though home prices in the neighborhood have climbed significantly in the last two decades, the neighborhood has historically been working class. Many of the homeowners in trouble are longtime residents. Some had paid off their mortgages years before, but became targets of predatory lending during the housing bubble. Many are low-income, people of color, or seniors. Bagot says that initially, Occupy Bernal didn’t totally reflect that. “We were pretty much white ex-new left radicals when we started,” he says.

The group has diversified over time, as more neighbors and homeowners, like Ross Rhodes, signed on to fight the foreclosures. Rhodes eventually won his fight to get a loan modification, but has stuck around and become a leader in the group. Around 40 or 50 people now show up to weekly action planning meetings. Many are homeowners who have faced or are facing foreclosure themselves. Merrie Jo Musni and her husband won a loan modification on their home through their affiliation with Occupy Bernal. She says that even though they were successful with their own foreclosure fight, it’s important to keep fighting for others. She says they “owe a debt of gratitude to the people who helped us, and we’re paying it forward. We’re out there as often as we can.”

Meetings take place every week in Bernal Heights, as well as the San Francisco offices of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, or ACCE. ACCE is a non-profit that had already been doing advocacy for homeowners facing foreclosure and eviction. The members of Occupy Bernal allied with them from the beginning. Together, they help homeowners understand their paperwork, advocate for them with the banks, and plan press conferences and demonstrations like the one at Peter Briger’s house. They’ve also been successful at stopping evictions and property auctions by bringing large groups of people to disrupt the proceedings.

Buck Bagot says the combination of Occupy and ACCE is a winning one. “They’re a really great organization, but they’re not community-based like we are,” he says. “Because we had the inclination and the time to talk to people before they lost their property, we got to get in front of the issue.”

Taking the time to talk to people and make personal connections has led to a continuous growth of the organization; Occupy Noe Valley is the most recent offshoot. Many people who wouldn’t have thought to align themselves with the Occupy movement have been drawn in, either through neighborhood door-knocking campaigns or old-fashioned word of mouth.

Larry Faulks is facing foreclosure on his Diamond Heights home, but says he was initially wary about coming to a meeting with these “Occupy people”.

“My vision of it was a group of people with tambourines and bullhorns, and that’s what’s gonna save the world,” he says. But when he went to the meeting, he says he found something different. “I was surprised to see that there was a lot of older people, like me. The group has lots of people of color, like me.” He says the diversity made him feel more comfortable.

Even a seasoned activist like Buck Bagot initially found Occupy’s approach somewhat challenging. While he did visit the San Francisco encampment in the fall of 2011, he was looking for a different way to embody the Occupy movement’s ideals.

“I’m 61 years old. I work,” he says. “I couldn’t camp out. I couldn’t spend six hours in a general assembly.”

Bagot says Occupy Bernal was formed to “try and take the possibilities created by Occupy and the ideals stated by Occupy, and root them in a concrete struggle in our neighborhood.”

Homeowner and activist Ross Rhodes says that kind of change is exactly why he continues to align himself with the Occupy movement. He says he doesn’t know what the future of Occupy is, but he is certain that it has changed the political conversation in America, just like it changed his own thinking.

“It’s the haves and the have-nots,” he says, “but we put a number on it, the one percent and the 99 percent. And, yeah, that opened my mind to the perspective of life, how we’re living today.”

]]>Mon, 17 Sep 2012 20:07:35 -0400http://www.kalw.org/post/occupy-bernal-occupy-local-level
http://www.kalw.org/post/occupy-bernal-occupy-local-levelJen ChienIt’s Sunday afternoon, and two-dozen San Francisco homeowners and activists are gathered in front of venture capitalist Peter Briger’s house, in the wealthy South Bay suburb of Atherton chanting, “Come out and talk to us! Don’t throw us under the bus!”

Briger is co-chairman of Fortress Investment Group, which owns the company foreclosing on some of the demonstrators’ homes. A protest two weeks earlier at the downtown San Francisco offices of the company did not draw a response, so they are taking their concerns to Briger’s home.

The demonstrators are surprised when Briger actually does step out of his house to meet them. He listens to some of the homeowners speak, and then agrees to look into their cases. The demonstrators press Briger to do more – they want him to stop the impending evictions of two of the homeowners. Briger tells them he can’t make that promise. But the next day, the evictions are postponed.

Ross Rhodes, one of the demonstrators, is proud of their successful tactics. “You know, we can’t get you at work, we’re coming to your house!” he says. Rhodes is a member of Occupy Bernal, a local offshoot of the greater Occupy movement, based in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood. He has lived in Bernal since the 60s, and was facing foreclosure on his own home when he got involved with the group, back in February.

Occupy came to his house, too. Rhodes laughs as he recalls that rainy Wednesday night, when a strange man pulled into his driveway and rang the doorbell.

It wasn’t the bank. It was a member of Occupy Bernal named Buck Bagot. He had heard about Rhodes’ situation and had come to ask him to join the group.

Bagot is also a long-time resident of Bernal Heights, and a self-described leftist activist since the early 70s. He and a handful of other activist neighbors founded Occupy Bernal in early January, coming together around another neighbor’s impending foreclosure.

Bagot says at that point, most members of the group were not facing foreclosure themselves, but wanted to take action to help those who were. At first they didn’t know much about the issue, but once they started to look into it, they found the problem was much more widespread than they would have thought.

According to real estate website Block Shopper, foreclosures were almost unheard of in Bernal until 2010, when the rate jumped from zero per year to 17. And it’s kept climbing since then.

Though home prices in the neighborhood have climbed significantly in the last two decades, the neighborhood has historically been working class. Many of the homeowners in trouble are longtime residents. Some had paid off their mortgages years before, but became targets of predatory lending during the housing bubble. Many are low-income, people of color, or seniors. Bagot says that initially, Occupy Bernal didn’t totally reflect that. “We were pretty much white ex-new left radicals when we started,” he says.

The group has diversified over time, as more neighbors and homeowners, like Ross Rhodes, signed on to fight the foreclosures. Rhodes eventually won his fight to get a loan modification, but has stuck around and become a leader in the group. Around 40 or 50 people now show up to weekly action planning meetings. Many are homeowners who have faced or are facing foreclosure themselves. Merrie Jo Musni and her husband won a loan modification on their home through their affiliation with Occupy Bernal. She says that even though they were successful with their own foreclosure fight, it’s important to keep fighting for others. She says they “owe a debt of gratitude to the people who helped us, and we’re paying it forward. We’re out there as often as we can.”

Meetings take place every week in Bernal Heights, as well as the San Francisco offices of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, or ACCE. ACCE is a non-profit that had already been doing advocacy for homeowners facing foreclosure and eviction. The members of Occupy Bernal allied with them from the beginning. Together, they help homeowners understand their paperwork, advocate for them with the banks, and plan press conferences and demonstrations like the one at Peter Briger’s house. They’ve also been successful at stopping evictions and property auctions by bringing large groups of people to disrupt the proceedings.

Buck Bagot says the combination of Occupy and ACCE is a winning one. “They’re a really great organization, but they’re not community-based like we are,” he says. “Because we had the inclination and the time to talk to people before they lost their property, we got to get in front of the issue.”

Taking the time to talk to people and make personal connections has led to a continuous growth of the organization; Occupy Noe Valley is the most recent offshoot. Many people who wouldn’t have thought to align themselves with the Occupy movement have been drawn in, either through neighborhood door-knocking campaigns or old-fashioned word of mouth.

Larry Faulks is facing foreclosure on his Diamond Heights home, but says he was initially wary about coming to a meeting with these “Occupy people”.

“My vision of it was a group of people with tambourines and bullhorns, and that’s what’s gonna save the world,” he says. But when he went to the meeting, he says he found something different. “I was surprised to see that there was a lot of older people, like me. The group has lots of people of color, like me.” He says the diversity made him feel more comfortable.

Even a seasoned activist like Buck Bagot initially found Occupy’s approach somewhat challenging. While he did visit the San Francisco encampment in the fall of 2011, he was looking for a different way to embody the Occupy movement’s ideals.

“I’m 61 years old. I work,” he says. “I couldn’t camp out. I couldn’t spend six hours in a general assembly.”

Bagot says Occupy Bernal was formed to “try and take the possibilities created by Occupy and the ideals stated by Occupy, and root them in a concrete struggle in our neighborhood.”

Homeowner and activist Ross Rhodes says that kind of change is exactly why he continues to align himself with the Occupy movement. He says he doesn’t know what the future of Occupy is, but he is certain that it has changed the political conversation in America, just like it changed his own thinking.

“It’s the haves and the have-nots,” he says, “but we put a number on it, the one percent and the 99 percent. And, yeah, that opened my mind to the perspective of life, how we’re living today.”

]]>845noCould this be our last election?Big money is a big issue in this election. Since the U.S. Supreme Court made its decision in the Citizens United case, an unlimited amount of corporate money is flowing into the so-called “Super PACs” that support political candidates.

Even though the Supreme Court deemed this constitutional, some believe that unlimited influence of money in politics is undermining democracy in the U.S. The San Francisco Mime Troupe is among the most vocal of such critics. The troupe is in its 53rd season, and its current show is called “For The Greater Good or The Last Election.” The Mime Troupe is using satire and farce to address the role of money in politics, greedy bankers, jobless recovery, and the Occupy movement, just to name a few. It's practically a city institution, known for its outspoken political commentary, performed for the public in open spaces and always for free.

At the center of this story is a wealthy banker who claims to have done everything in his life for the common good, including stealing money. The author and director of this melodrama is Michael Gene Sullivan. He believes that theatre – satire, in particular – is a strong way to raise awareness around political issues of the day.

“What we decided to do, is to push it to its extreme,” says Sullivan. “To show – okay, this is what you are being shown every day that these people are the makers of America, they are the heroes.” And by “these people” Sullivan means the infamous one percent of wealthy Americans. “And that Occupy and revolutionaries and all these people are villains. So let's just do it completely that way and make it as ironic as possible to show the contradictions and hypocrisy,” Sullivan continues.

The title of the show includes the words “Last Election” because Sullivan fears corporate money will forever change what it means to run for office. “Unlimited donations mean... when is the next time that we are going to have somebody who is just a person? There's just going to be like it's said: ‘The best patriots money can buy,’” he adds.

The latest campaign data shows that in July, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney raised just over $100 million. That's about five times more than John McCain raised around this time last election.

President Barack Obama and his supporters have also raised more – $23 million more than they did in June of 2008. And this is just one month.

Political strategists agree that if a candidate can substantially outspend his or her opponent, victory is almost certain. Obama outspent McCain in 2008. George Bush outspent John Kerry in 2004 and Al Gore in 2000.

Sullivan believes that a couple of years ago, right at the beginning of the recession, there was momentum building toward changing the system: “The first impulse of the country was, of course, ‘Those bastard capitalists and bankers and investment bankers and hedge fund managers! They've ruined this country! They've driven our economy to a ditch!’”

But then the anger started to shift towards so-called big government. “And this idea has re-emerged, this Ayn Rand-ian idea has re-emerged of ‘We have to take care of the best because they take care of us,’” says Sullivan. This is why the Mime Troupe tells its audience: If you don't like the world depicted on stage, go out and change it.

Jeff Myers is a member of the audience who has seen the troupe many times. After the show he says that this “is the most honest discussion of the values and principles our society needs to live by you can find anywhere. I can think of no theatrical group or broadcast media that does nearly as good job to recognize where our issues truly lie.”

Marcy Rose from Los Angeles is also a fan. “I agree with their politics. I think things definitely need to be changed. We need to hold them responsible for what's happened and we haven't done it yet. And this is as good way to communicate it as any I've seen. It's using humor, it's using consciousness, it's using sanity,” says Rose.

It's no surprise that many audience members are supporters of the troupe's message. But are they ready for revolution?

“Revolution has been possible before, so in principle it's always possible, but I don't know whether we have one around the corner,” thinks Oliver Hoeller.

Darril Tighe is also sceptical: “Not many people are in favor of a revolution. I mean, there are a lot of progressives and I know a lot of progressives. But I don't think that progressives believe in a revolution.”

Harry Pariser thinks the Mime Troupe is preaching to the converted: “The people who would need to see this play aren't gonna see this play. That's one of the biggest problems. And if they did get to see the play, they would start get angry and walk away.”

Asked about this problem, Sullivan replies that audience is self-selecting. “We can't go into their homes, break into their houses, tie them to chairs, and do the show for them. Theatre is always a self-selecting crowd.”

Sullivan claims that the group's popularity and prestigious Tony Award brings more diverse crowds – and not all of them necessarily agree with the Mime Troupe. “We were in Ann Arbor, Michigan in this huge theatre, and one whole row of people got up and walked out,” he remembers. “And we'd found out later that it was a teacher who had brought her students because she thought we did silent mime. And when she found out how political the show was, she worried she was going to be fired. So she had to take her students out of the theatre.”

In San Francisco’s Dolores Park no one seems to have left during the show. But the question remains: is this going to inspire real change or is just thoughtful entertainment?

]]>Wed, 22 Aug 2012 19:33:49 -0400http://www.kalw.org/post/could-be-our-last-election
http://www.kalw.org/post/could-be-our-last-electionArtjoms KonohovsBig money is a big issue in this election. Since the U.S. Supreme Court made its decision in the Citizens United case, an unlimited amount of corporate money is flowing into the so-called “Super PACs” that support political candidates.

Even though the Supreme Court deemed this constitutional, some believe that unlimited influence of money in politics is undermining democracy in the U.S. The San Francisco Mime Troupe is among the most vocal of such critics. The troupe is in its 53rd season, and its current show is called “For The Greater Good or The Last Election.” The Mime Troupe is using satire and farce to address the role of money in politics, greedy bankers, jobless recovery, and the Occupy movement, just to name a few. It's practically a city institution, known for its outspoken political commentary, performed for the public in open spaces and always for free.

At the center of this story is a wealthy banker who claims to have done everything in his life for the common good, including stealing money. The author and director of this melodrama is Michael Gene Sullivan. He believes that theatre – satire, in particular – is a strong way to raise awareness around political issues of the day.

“What we decided to do, is to push it to its extreme,” says Sullivan. “To show – okay, this is what you are being shown every day that these people are the makers of America, they are the heroes.” And by “these people” Sullivan means the infamous one percent of wealthy Americans. “And that Occupy and revolutionaries and all these people are villains. So let's just do it completely that way and make it as ironic as possible to show the contradictions and hypocrisy,” Sullivan continues.

The title of the show includes the words “Last Election” because Sullivan fears corporate money will forever change what it means to run for office. “Unlimited donations mean... when is the next time that we are going to have somebody who is just a person? There's just going to be like it's said: ‘The best patriots money can buy,’” he adds.

The latest campaign data shows that in July, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney raised just over $100 million. That's about five times more than John McCain raised around this time last election.

President Barack Obama and his supporters have also raised more – $23 million more than they did in June of 2008. And this is just one month.

Political strategists agree that if a candidate can substantially outspend his or her opponent, victory is almost certain. Obama outspent McCain in 2008. George Bush outspent John Kerry in 2004 and Al Gore in 2000.

Sullivan believes that a couple of years ago, right at the beginning of the recession, there was momentum building toward changing the system: “The first impulse of the country was, of course, ‘Those bastard capitalists and bankers and investment bankers and hedge fund managers! They've ruined this country! They've driven our economy to a ditch!’”

But then the anger started to shift towards so-called big government. “And this idea has re-emerged, this Ayn Rand-ian idea has re-emerged of ‘We have to take care of the best because they take care of us,’” says Sullivan. This is why the Mime Troupe tells its audience: If you don't like the world depicted on stage, go out and change it.

Jeff Myers is a member of the audience who has seen the troupe many times. After the show he says that this “is the most honest discussion of the values and principles our society needs to live by you can find anywhere. I can think of no theatrical group or broadcast media that does nearly as good job to recognize where our issues truly lie.”

Marcy Rose from Los Angeles is also a fan. “I agree with their politics. I think things definitely need to be changed. We need to hold them responsible for what's happened and we haven't done it yet. And this is as good way to communicate it as any I've seen. It's using humor, it's using consciousness, it's using sanity,” says Rose.

It's no surprise that many audience members are supporters of the troupe's message. But are they ready for revolution?

“Revolution has been possible before, so in principle it's always possible, but I don't know whether we have one around the corner,” thinks Oliver Hoeller.

Darril Tighe is also sceptical: “Not many people are in favor of a revolution. I mean, there are a lot of progressives and I know a lot of progressives. But I don't think that progressives believe in a revolution.”

Harry Pariser thinks the Mime Troupe is preaching to the converted: “The people who would need to see this play aren't gonna see this play. That's one of the biggest problems. And if they did get to see the play, they would start get angry and walk away.”

Asked about this problem, Sullivan replies that audience is self-selecting. “We can't go into their homes, break into their houses, tie them to chairs, and do the show for them. Theatre is always a self-selecting crowd.”

Sullivan claims that the group's popularity and prestigious Tony Award brings more diverse crowds – and not all of them necessarily agree with the Mime Troupe. “We were in Ann Arbor, Michigan in this huge theatre, and one whole row of people got up and walked out,” he remembers. “And we'd found out later that it was a teacher who had brought her students because she thought we did silent mime. And when she found out how political the show was, she worried she was going to be fired. So she had to take her students out of the theatre.”

In San Francisco’s Dolores Park no one seems to have left during the show. But the question remains: is this going to inspire real change or is just thoughtful entertainment?

]]>481noToday on Your Call: Does the Occupy movement matter now?On the next Your Call, we’ll speak with two Occupy Wall Street activists, Jen Waller and Tom Hintze, who have been traveling across the country with their project, Less Wall, More Street -- talking to people about how to fight state repression of protest. Close to a year after it began, has Occupy changed the conversations we’re having about the economy and our democracy? Join us at 10am PST or post a comment here. As the presidential election approaches, will the voices of the 99% be heard? Up next on Your Call, with Rose Aguilar, and you.

]]>Wed, 08 Aug 2012 12:06:27 -0400http://www.kalw.org/post/today-your-call-does-occupy-movement-matter-now
http://www.kalw.org/post/today-your-call-does-occupy-movement-matter-nowKALW-FMOn the next Your Call, we’ll speak with two Occupy Wall Street activists, Jen Waller and Tom Hintze, who have been traveling across the country with their project, Less Wall, More Street -- talking to people about how to fight state repression of protest. Close to a year after it began, has Occupy changed the conversations we’re having about the economy and our democracy? Join us at 10am PST or post a comment here. As the presidential election approaches, will the voices of the 99% be heard? Up next on Your Call, with Rose Aguilar, and you.

]]>3187noOccupy: Still intense, just not in tentsThe Occupy movement, which gathered national attention last September, has dwindled in terms of outside rallies. But that doesn’t mean Occupy supporters aren't still making noise.

The excitement that began last September to organize has created a web of people who continue to tackle economic disparities in their own way. In San Francisco, residents gather Monday nights to brainstorm solutions to issues like healthcare, gentrification, and unemployment. The events are called Occupy forums.

Magick, an organizer for Occupy San Francisco, has a clear opinion on how capitalism can shape the identity of citizens in our society. "We are just this commodity. We’re supposed to work, we’re supposed to make money, and we’re supposed to buy things and we’re all disposable and our real nature doesn’t really matter," says Magick.

While Magick thinks that’s how things are, she doesn’t think that’s how it needs to be – and neither did about 80 people who joined her at the Women’s Building in San Francisco on a recent Monday night. At an Occupy Forum, they explored the topic of “work” and whether or not our jobs contribute something to society.

"Over the last ten or fifteen years you see people coming together in projects that take place outside of their paid jobs … They’re creating alternatives based on their full existence as human beings," says Critical Mass founder Chris Carlsson.

While Carlsson and other participants in the forum may feel dissatisfied with the concept of what constitutes “work” these days, that sentiment is not necessarily universal. A survey conducted in 2011 by the Nielsen Company shows 47 percent of employees in the U.S. are not satisfied with their work. Though that statistic is better than in recent years, in general, job satisfaction has been declining over the last quarter century, particularly among older generations.

For Carlsson, the Occupy movement has given voice to frustrated workers. "And that’s finally what most of us here are interested in is the best life that everybody can have altogether here on the planet with the least damage to the ecology and the most pleasure for all of us."

After Carlsson spoke, there were small group discussions. Magick facilitated a conversation of about ten people. She asked what kind of profession they would feel happy in if they weren’t bound by fears of not having healthcare or accumulating debt.

"We were really trying to see how we could model in public places a sense of commonality and common purposes in situations that did not have hierarchy, did not have money exchange and were ecologically sound, fun, creative so we thought of things like reuse and repair, so we’re not throwing things away."

Like Magick’s group, many suggested lending programs to address the issue of consumerism. Chris Carlsson shared other concrete examples: “I’ve seen it already with the bicycling culture with Critical Mass and DIY bike shops. The whole community gardening movement… All kinds of efforts that people have been making for quite a long time now over the last ten or fifteen years."

But if everyone had their dream profession, who would do the jobs people didn’t want to do? It’s a tough question, but as Magick pointed out, this was just the first occupy forum on the subject: “What I think was really great about tonight is that for the first time that I’ve been in a public discussion there was a sense that nobody was trying to win a point, or win over somebody, or lecture, or be in charge… I think that’s possible and not mutually exclusive. To me, that’s a brilliant step in the right direction."

With the Occupy movement dissipating over time, and protesters displaced repeatedly, this gathering gave a sense of place and community. Those who attended were hopeful about developing their own remedies rather than accepting the prescribed status quo.

The community discussions will continue Monday nights at 6 p.m. at the Women’s Building on 18th Street in San Francisco. For more information,visit occupyforumsf.org.

]]>Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:26:16 -0400http://www.kalw.org/post/occupy-still-intense-just-not-tents
http://www.kalw.org/post/occupy-still-intense-just-not-tentsFatima DuranThe Occupy movement, which gathered national attention last September, has dwindled in terms of outside rallies. But that doesn’t mean Occupy supporters aren't still making noise.

The excitement that began last September to organize has created a web of people who continue to tackle economic disparities in their own way. In San Francisco, residents gather Monday nights to brainstorm solutions to issues like healthcare, gentrification, and unemployment. The events are called Occupy forums.

Magick, an organizer for Occupy San Francisco, has a clear opinion on how capitalism can shape the identity of citizens in our society. "We are just this commodity. We’re supposed to work, we’re supposed to make money, and we’re supposed to buy things and we’re all disposable and our real nature doesn’t really matter," says Magick.

While Magick thinks that’s how things are, she doesn’t think that’s how it needs to be – and neither did about 80 people who joined her at the Women’s Building in San Francisco on a recent Monday night. At an Occupy Forum, they explored the topic of “work” and whether or not our jobs contribute something to society.

"Over the last ten or fifteen years you see people coming together in projects that take place outside of their paid jobs … They’re creating alternatives based on their full existence as human beings," says Critical Mass founder Chris Carlsson.

While Carlsson and other participants in the forum may feel dissatisfied with the concept of what constitutes “work” these days, that sentiment is not necessarily universal. A survey conducted in 2011 by the Nielsen Company shows 47 percent of employees in the U.S. are not satisfied with their work. Though that statistic is better than in recent years, in general, job satisfaction has been declining over the last quarter century, particularly among older generations.

For Carlsson, the Occupy movement has given voice to frustrated workers. "And that’s finally what most of us here are interested in is the best life that everybody can have altogether here on the planet with the least damage to the ecology and the most pleasure for all of us."

After Carlsson spoke, there were small group discussions. Magick facilitated a conversation of about ten people. She asked what kind of profession they would feel happy in if they weren’t bound by fears of not having healthcare or accumulating debt.

"We were really trying to see how we could model in public places a sense of commonality and common purposes in situations that did not have hierarchy, did not have money exchange and were ecologically sound, fun, creative so we thought of things like reuse and repair, so we’re not throwing things away."

Like Magick’s group, many suggested lending programs to address the issue of consumerism. Chris Carlsson shared other concrete examples: “I’ve seen it already with the bicycling culture with Critical Mass and DIY bike shops. The whole community gardening movement… All kinds of efforts that people have been making for quite a long time now over the last ten or fifteen years."

But if everyone had their dream profession, who would do the jobs people didn’t want to do? It’s a tough question, but as Magick pointed out, this was just the first occupy forum on the subject: “What I think was really great about tonight is that for the first time that I’ve been in a public discussion there was a sense that nobody was trying to win a point, or win over somebody, or lecture, or be in charge… I think that’s possible and not mutually exclusive. To me, that’s a brilliant step in the right direction."

With the Occupy movement dissipating over time, and protesters displaced repeatedly, this gathering gave a sense of place and community. Those who attended were hopeful about developing their own remedies rather than accepting the prescribed status quo.

The community discussions will continue Monday nights at 6 p.m. at the Women’s Building on 18th Street in San Francisco. For more information,visit occupyforumsf.org.

]]>294noMay Day brings unions and Occupy togetherTuesday’s May Day protests marked the re-emergence of the Occupy movement with coordinated protests around the Bay Area. But May Day—known around the world as International Workers Day—is traditionally a day when union members mobilize around labor issues. In San Francisco, those are ongoing.]]>Thu, 03 May 2012 17:25:59 -0400http://www.kalw.org/post/may-day-brings-unions-and-occupy-together
http://www.kalw.org/post/may-day-brings-unions-and-occupy-togetherJulie CaineTuesday’s May Day protests marked the re-emergence of the Occupy movement with coordinated protests around the Bay Area. But May Day—known around the world as International Workers Day—is traditionally a day when union members mobilize around labor issues. In San Francisco, those are ongoing.]]>318noToday on Your Call: What do you want from Occupy Spring? On today's Your Call, we’ll have a conversation about the Occupy movement and International Workers Day, May Day. Unions, labor activists and Occupy groups are planning to take to the streets with a series of May Day actions. Longshoremen have called for a daytime work stoppage at the Port of Oakland. Where is Occupy movement today? Join us at 10 or email feedback@yourcallradio.org. How is the occupy movement articulating its demands? It’s Your Call, with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:

]]>Tue, 01 May 2012 15:00:00 -0400http://www.kalw.org/post/today-your-call-what-do-you-want-occupy-spring
http://www.kalw.org/post/today-your-call-what-do-you-want-occupy-springKALW-FMOn today's Your Call, we’ll have a conversation about the Occupy movement and International Workers Day, May Day. Unions, labor activists and Occupy groups are planning to take to the streets with a series of May Day actions. Longshoremen have called for a daytime work stoppage at the Port of Oakland. Where is Occupy movement today? Join us at 10 or email feedback@yourcallradio.org. How is the occupy movement articulating its demands? It’s Your Call, with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:

]]>3182noArrests made in Wells Fargo protestsThis morning, up to a thousand protesters converged on San Francisco’s Justin Herman plaza and marched through the City’s Financial District to the Merchant’s Exchange Building, where the Wells Fargo Group was holding its annual shareholders meeting. The protesters called themselves The 99 Percent Takeover.]]>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:04:20 -0400http://www.kalw.org/post/arrests-made-wells-fargo-protests
http://www.kalw.org/post/arrests-made-wells-fargo-protestsArtjoms KonohovsThis morning, up to a thousand protesters converged on San Francisco’s Justin Herman plaza and marched through the City’s Financial District to the Merchant’s Exchange Building, where the Wells Fargo Group was holding its annual shareholders meeting. The protesters called themselves The 99 Percent Takeover.]]>144noToday on Your Call: What explains the militarization of police forces in the US?On today's Your Call we’ll talk about the escalating use of military weapons and tactics by police departments. Reporter Radley Balko, says, “Police militarization is now an ingrained part of American culture.” We’re seeing local police dressed in riot gear use stun grenades and rubber coated bullets on demonstrators. How did we get here?]]>Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:12:24 -0500http://www.kalw.org/post/today-your-call-what-explains-militarization-police-forces-us
http://www.kalw.org/post/today-your-call-what-explains-militarization-police-forces-usKALW-FMOn today's Your Call we’ll talk about the escalating use of military weapons and tactics by police departments. Reporter Radley Balko, says, “Police militarization is now an ingrained part of American culture.” We’re seeing local police dressed in riot gear use stun grenades and rubber coated bullets on demonstrators. How did we get here?]]>0noToday on Your Call: The Dream vs. The GapThe On Today's Your Call, we’ll have a conversation about the economic realities of white, black and brown Americans. According to the Pew Research Survey, two out of three Americans now perceive strong social conflicts over the income gap — up sharply from two years ago. Do the changing realities of our economy mean that class divides are becoming more critical than race or nationality? Join us at 10 or email feedback@yourcallradio.org. It’s Your Call with Rose Aguilar, and you.

Guests:

]]>Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:40:33 -0500http://www.kalw.org/post/today-your-call-dream-vs-gap
http://www.kalw.org/post/today-your-call-dream-vs-gapKALW-FMThe On Today's Your Call, we’ll have a conversation about the economic realities of white, black and brown Americans. According to the Pew Research Survey, two out of three Americans now perceive strong social conflicts over the income gap — up sharply from two years ago. Do the changing realities of our economy mean that class divides are becoming more critical than race or nationality? Join us at 10 or email feedback@yourcallradio.org. It’s Your Call with Rose Aguilar, and you.

Guests:

]]>0noToday on Your Call: Who was Robin Hood and how is his story relevant today? On today's Your Call, we’ll have a conversation with Paul Buhle and Sharon Rudahl, author and one of the illustrators of the new graphic novel, Robin Hood: People’s Outlaw and Forest Hero. Buhle writes: “Robin Hood and his companions were called into existence by popular desires for social revenge and social justice. Whether they “existed” or not does not matter: they existed and exist in the hearts of rebels everywhere.” So what has Robin Hood’s story meant over time? How is he as powerful a symbol today]]>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:57:48 -0500http://www.kalw.org/post/today-your-call-who-was-robin-hood-and-how-his-story-relevant-today
http://www.kalw.org/post/today-your-call-who-was-robin-hood-and-how-his-story-relevant-todayKALW-FMOn today's Your Call, we’ll have a conversation with Paul Buhle and Sharon Rudahl, author and one of the illustrators of the new graphic novel, Robin Hood: People’s Outlaw and Forest Hero. Buhle writes: “Robin Hood and his companions were called into existence by popular desires for social revenge and social justice. Whether they “existed” or not does not matter: they existed and exist in the hearts of rebels everywhere.” So what has Robin Hood’s story meant over time? How is he as powerful a symbol today]]>0noToday on Your Call: How did 2011 change democracy worldwide? On the next Your Call, we’ll talk about the year in democracy. It has been one full year since Tunisian fruit vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, set himself on fire--setting off a domino chain of revolts and revolutions in the Arab world and around the globe. Now there are 150 cities with Occupy movements in California alone.]]>Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:58:14 -0500http://www.kalw.org/post/today-your-call-how-did-2011-change-democracy-worldwide
http://www.kalw.org/post/today-your-call-how-did-2011-change-democracy-worldwideKALW-FMOn the next Your Call, we’ll talk about the year in democracy. It has been one full year since Tunisian fruit vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, set himself on fire--setting off a domino chain of revolts and revolutions in the Arab world and around the globe. Now there are 150 cities with Occupy movements in California alone.]]>0noToday on Your Call: What should we occupy in 2012?On today's Your Call, we’ll talk about how the Occupy movement can continue to be effective. On Monday, several west coast Occupiers shut down their ports, while other movements attempted to halt operations at Walmart headquarters. What do you think the targets should be? And what are the most effective methods? Are there ways the movement can be more inclusive? Join us at 10 or email us at feedback@yourcallradio.org. What should Occupy 2012 look like?]]>Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:37:56 -0500http://www.kalw.org/post/today-your-call-what-should-we-occupy-2012
http://www.kalw.org/post/today-your-call-what-should-we-occupy-2012KALW-FMOn today's Your Call, we’ll talk about how the Occupy movement can continue to be effective. On Monday, several west coast Occupiers shut down their ports, while other movements attempted to halt operations at Walmart headquarters. What do you think the targets should be? And what are the most effective methods? Are there ways the movement can be more inclusive? Join us at 10 or email us at feedback@yourcallradio.org. What should Occupy 2012 look like?]]>0no